By Fr. Soroj Mulllick, SDB –
A fusion of art, religion, academics, and monumental and architectural craft perceptions in the Church, are becoming increasingly prominent – a conglomeration of diverse – features said to be integral. It reinforces the mindset of sacredness of traditions – the past more than the present, so acutely evident in the present Vatican publications and art exhibitions. The depiction of ancient classic centuries old painting in books and banners leads to make the whole church accept the fundamental principle that art is embedded in the Universal Church’s thought and expression.
The common Catholic must now readily concede that the move is on in the Church today. The publishing brigade at Vatican have now entered the campus crusade to persuade the matter. The elite intellectuals, theologians and professors in pontifical universities too, have imbibed the protruding practice in their publishing layout. The common people stand as mute witness to the regeneration of the single cultured-based art and beauty at the cost of the degeneration of the multi-cultural arts in different geographical context. This leads to internal confrontation if not a loud voicing on inculturation.
The blocks of the old rare beauty are a provocation of the minority followers spread out far from the Roman centre. This is merely to make the waters murkier, making the inculturation process a far fetched reality. This is an act that appears to have been tacitly guarded by the centre. To a large extent, the centre has recklessly played into the hands of the traditionalists trying to dig and undig, and place it on the modern pattern to please the recent popes’ establishment.
In the wider context this European-oriented ‘depositing of faith’ will placate the majority. The suspension of some ecclesial persons and barring of theological writings alone explain. This is, of course, is not an act of malice but to smack of intended protesters of such move only to weed off that which prevents the frenzy growth. It is amazing that the culture-based Asian theologians, excluding a few, are almost muted in their response. This is evident even in their passive and perverse view over Christian architecture, arts and edifices.
The hierarchical Church through such actions betrays the universal law of love, and our God is love. This distinctly proves, therefore, in present Indian terminology, a ‘saffronizing’ process within the Church. One must explain, why the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), the Compendium of the CCC, YouCat, KidsCat and many other recent publications of the Church at Rome have reduced its books with rare ‘art’ collections in its pages as the backdrop? A willing accomplice to the brazen interference by the present ‘footwares’ to uphold the legacy of the ancient Church, in her present affairs. This style of functioning of late by the Church ‘academicians’, and as head of the Church administration, the Vatican head can’t shirk responsibility for the ‘closed’ sense, that does create tension to exacerbate in a reputed practice of a Church learning from the past and growing for the future.
The recent focus of the Church personnel and Art forums focused on the ‘divorce’ between art and the Church. But was art ever married to the Church? When were they two inseparable and equal halves made one? Is not the current estrangement between artists and Christian culture as a manifestation of art’s extended growing process? Here we try to examine the fundamental principles that determine works of art that are truly “signs and symbols of the supernatural world” (SC 122) and try to respond to the above questions.
With theological depth and cultural breadth we draw the rich understanding of the Church on how she can overcome the ‘new iconoclasm’ of the post-Conciliar period in order to contemplate the face of Christ more clearly in a pluri-cultural context. While elaborating on the relationship between the sacred art and the shrines, this study considers some important interventions about art by the Church recently, while trying to build up a dialogical dimension in art activities of the Catholic Church, especially in the multi-cultural context of India. It intends to contribute towards planning and promoting Church art, with some theoretical directions, for those who are working in the field of such art and cultural events. We shall reflect and develop these dialogical issues in the following paragraphs and find their rightful place.
To be continued…
This article is an extract from book on Art and Faith Perceptions in the Shrines: An integration of Church-Art in Pluri-Cultural Context by Fr. Soroj Mullick, SDB, a Salesian priest from the Kolkata Province. He has a Licentiate in Catechetics and a Doctorate (Christian Education) from UPS, Italy. He has number of years of teaching experience in college and in the formation of future priests. Besides, he has written number of research papers and articles, and has 25 years of Ministry in India and abroad as Educator, Formator, Retreat Preacher, Editor and engaged in School, Parish Catechetical & Youth Ministry. He is now an assistant priest in Bandel Basilica, rendering pastoral and catechetical ministry to the parishioners and to the pilgrims. He can be contacted at [email protected].